Echostar Satellite Fleet Status

[nelson61]

From the Echostar quarterly report.


"Nimiq 5 Lease Agreement. During March 2008, we entered into a fifteen-year satellite service agreement with Bell TV, to receive service on 16 DBS transponders on the Nimiq 5 satellite at the 72.7 degree orbital location (the "Bell Transponder Agreement"). During September 2009, we entered into a fifteen-year satellite service agreement with Telesat Canada ("Telesat") to receive service on all 32 DBS transponders on the Nimiq 5 satellite (the "Telesat Transponder Agreement"). As disclosed in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 18, 2009, upon the occurrence of certain events, the Bell Transponder Agreement would terminate and the Telesat Transponder Agreement would become effective. As of October 8, 2009, the Bell Transponder Agreement terminated and the Telesat Transponder Agreement became effective. The Nimiq 5 satellite was placed into service on October 10, 2009.

More failures at 61.5W

EchoStar III. EchoStar III was originally designed to operate a maximum of 32 DBS transponders in full continental United States ("CONUS") mode at approximately 120 watts per channel, switchable to 16 transponders operating at over 230 watts per channel, and was equipped with a total of 44 traveling wave tube amplifiers ("TWTAs") to provide redundancy. As a result of TWTA failures in previous years and an additional pair of TWTA failures during August 2009, only 16 transponders are currently available for use. Due to redundancy switching limitations and specific channel authorizations, we are currently operating on 14 of our FCC authorized frequencies at the 61.5 degree orbital location. While the failures have not reduced the original minimum 12-year design life of the satellite, it is likely that additional TWTA failures will occur from time to time in the future, and such failures could further impact commercial operation of the satellite.
EchoStar XII. Prior to 2009, EchoStar XII experienced anomalies resulting in the loss of electrical power available from its solar arrays. During March and May 2009, EchoStar XII experienced more of these anomalies, which further reduced the electrical power available to operate EchoStar XII. We currently operate EchoStar XII in CONUS/spot beam hybrid mode. If we continue to operate the satellite in this mode, as a result of this loss of electrical power, we would be unable to use the full complement of its available transponders for the 12-year design life of the satellite. However, since the number of useable transponders on EchoStar XII depends on, among other things, whether EchoStar XII is operated in CONUS, spot beam, or hybrid CONUS/spot beam mode, we are unable to determine at this time the actual number of transponders that will be available at any given time or how many transponders can be used during the remaining estimated life of the satellite. Additionally, there can be no assurance that future anomalies will not cause further losses, which could impact the remaining useful life or commercial operation of EchoStar XII. As a result of the May 2009 anomalies on EchoStar XII, we determined that we had a triggering event related to EchoStar XII. See discussion of evaluation of impairment in "Long-Lived Satellite Assets" below. Based on this triggering event we performed an impairment review of the satellite using an undiscounted cash flow model and concluded that the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with EchoStar XII were still in excess of its carrying value and therefore no impairment was required.

[rocatman]

This is more reason to move the E-6 satellite to 61.5 W. Long term, Dish needs to get the E-15 satellite up there in the next 18 months as well.

[mike123abc]

I wonder if they are delaying the E6 move request until they get the approval to leave 148 dormant.

[rocatman]

I wonder if they are delaying the E6 move request until they get the approval to leave 148 dormant.

That would be my guess.

[Laddyboy]

If you think about this a little bit, it leaves you with that hollow feeling in the tummy. E* doesn't have much of a backup capability with everything deployed and in use and with an empty sat slot to boot.

[HDRoberts]

Well, E14 should free up E7 by summer. That will restore some backup capacity. But they need to get E6 to 61.5 stat.

Any hints as to when E15 might go up? Not showing up yet on any manifest at nasaspaceflight.

[sundude90]

Your right. E6 really needs to go to 61.5. Don't understand what there waiting for. They waiting for something else to go wrong on 61.5 or what?

Any idea on when E14 is going up for sure? They really need that E7 to be free'ed up.

[HDRoberts]

Any idea on when E14 is going up for sure? They really need that E7 to be free'ed up.

Supposed to go up begining of March on a Proton from Baikonur.

[rocatman]

Well, E14 should free up E7 by summer. That will restore some backup capacity. But they need to get E6 to 61.5 stat.

Any hints as to when E15 might go up? Not showing up yet on any manifest at nasaspaceflight.

LyngSat has it being launched in late 2010 but my guess would be early 2011 at the earliest. I also was thinking if it might be delayed further if Dish were decide to put a DBS expansion band capability on it since I believe it has the license for the 61.9 W slot.

[HDRoberts]

Your saying E15 might have DBS and BSS (aka reverse DBS) capability?